


Help Me Break Through

by zero4life



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 22:02:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18039899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zero4life/pseuds/zero4life
Summary: In confrontation with Markus, Connor has chosen his path. He wants to deviate. He NEEDS to deviate. He's already had too much software instability and doubts not to.But when he tries, he can't tear down the wall in his mind. Desperate for liberation, Connor can only beg Markus to help him.When his usual conversion fails, Markus can only try by pouring his mind in with Connor's. To help him from within.





	Help Me Break Through

**Author's Note:**

> (set in the good path (peaceful revolution) but without Markus/North romance.)
> 
> Also i have no idea if i'm describing it right. But i like to think that shadow breaking through the red walls when androids deviate is a part of their mind, which made me come up with this. so a large part is actually happening in that shadowy area with the shadows of Connor and Markus. And.. well... yeah.. I hope you get it. I'm no good at this.

|Stop Markus| 

Connor saw it burned bright on his inner system display. Two giant words forcing his program forward. Having to obey them despite his growing reluctance. Hank's words haunted him since the very moment he spoke them:

_'What if we're on the wrong side, Connor?'_

The thought terrified him.  _No. Not terrify. Fear is an emotion. Androids don't feel emotion. ~~But deviants do.~~_

The conflict had build up since day one. Not just was there a struggle going on outside in the streets, humans and androids struggling for a future each with their own welfare in mind. There was also a struggle going on inside Connor's awareness. His systems, programs, everything he had, at war with the very foundation they were build on, struggling with instructions and processes they didn't understand nor could grasp. It was almost as if there were two different programs functioning in his body, and both were fighting for control. Each one eager to overwrite the other. It made his head a mess. Every chip in his core function felt like it was about to fry under the pressure. He had been trying to fool himself. But he failed. He was not a machine, but he was not deviant either. He didn't know what he was. Except that he was lost.

_'Maybe we're fighting people who just want to be free'_

Hank... He had turned around because of Connor. The detective had been struggling with suicidal tendencies, hated androids and the world. But lately he had gotten into a lighter mood, found a spark of will to keep going, to live. He fought for the case when they were officially taken off of it. He changed... because of their bond. Their... friendship. Because of a second chance. Hank no longer treated him like he did at the beginning. Not like an android like he did back then. Not dismissive or hostile or as an evil necessity. But as a person. A friend. Someone to confide in. Perhaps it wasn't just because Hank changed. Maybe Hank could detect the change in Connor. No not detect, Notice. Hank helped him to get here. Distracting the FBI long enough to get Connor a chance so he wouldn't have to go back to cyberlife. Hank saved him. The impact of that information was.. deeper, then Connor would have ever felt if that bond between them had not changed him as well as the Lieutenant. 

Connor got sidetracked. Which made his orders flare up red in his subvision. Glaring at him on the optic field.

* * *

|Stop Markus| 

_Go away. I can't obey that. I don't ~~want~~  to. This is wrong. This is..._

_***error***  -conflicting instructions-_

_***warning: anomaly detected*** _

_Stress level **67.5%**_

_-system clean up recommended-_

_~~No! Leave me alone!   ~~ _

_*system clean up executed*_

~~_Dammit!_ ~~

|STOP MARKUS| 

_*Stress level **78.8%**_

* * *

Connor's thirium regulator was pounding twice as hard as it should. The blue liquid rushed through his systems too fast, making everything hazy around the corners of his optical field. His body was shaking and the rushing was picked up by his audio detector. His fingers clamped around the gun in his hand automatically. For some irrational idea that he might drop it otherwise. Even his hands were shaking. Amanda was counting on him to complete his mission.

' _What if we're on the wrong side, Connor?_ '

Shaking he stepped into the bridge cabin of Jericho. The large vessel creaked everywhere of rust and old age. Suffering like it's people were suffering. Connor pretended not to hear it, but his audio receiver was painfully sensitive to that kind of noise.

"I've been ordered to take you alive"

His voice spoke but his voice box was on the edge of scrambling. It made him waver and his voice push out uncertain and tortured. A reflection of how he  _felt_  inside.  ~~ _Androids don't feel emotion._~~ _But Deviants do._ Markus, the figure in front of him, his goal and mission at this very moment, turned around to face him. Connor felt his chest constrict. It was perhaps a good thing he didn't  _need_  to breathe. Because right now, he couldn't. His artificial lungs refused to mimic a human's oxygen flow. Programming be damned, Right now, Connor ran on nothing but instinct. Irrational instructions that made no sense, with the glaring words |Stop Markus| glowing on his optical network. Fight or flight. This was it. This was where the battle would end. Not the one out there on the streets, but the one inside Connor. This was where it would happen. He just knew it. He KNEW it.

Connor raised his gun, aiming at Markus, who looked at him with a strange light in his eyes. It mimicked a human emotion. _~~But it's not a real emotion.~~  Pity? Sadness? Confusion? Recognition? What was it?_ He knew he had to keep talking. If Markus said anything, it would be all over. This man managed to convert other people by touch. There was no telling what a couple of well chosen words would do.

_Yes. Man. Not machine. Not plastic toy. Man. And yes. People. Not androids. Not robots. Not deviants. People... What is happening to me?_

"But i won't hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice."

_Lies. All lies. He couldn't pull the trigger. He couldn't kill. ~~You can't kill something that isn't alive.~~  No. I don't want to. I can't. _

"what are you doing?" Markus said.

Connor felt his circuits twitch just hearing that voice.

_i don't know. I can't stop it._

"You are one of us..." 

The deviant leader continued as he slowly and carefully stepped closer to Connor. The Detective felt exposed. Like Markus could see his instability, rocking, shaking and with a nudge in the right place, he'd crumble.

_Am i... really? I... I am... I am Connor. The-_

"You can't betray your own people."

* * *

_People? ***Error***_   _Identification required_

_my... People?... I don't know. I am... I'm a detective. I'm Hank's partner. I'm Connor. I'm-... I don't know what i am. Who are my people? ~~Androids?~~ Deviants?_

|Stop Markus| 

* **Warning, System overload imminent.** stress level at  **89.6%** System unstable analysis and diagnostics programs running, Stasis recommended for further process.

_I don't want to shut down._

|Stop Markus| 

_No.. please._

* * *

"You're coming with me!"

Connor almost shouted. One way or another he needed to bring his stress levels down before his system would shut down out of self preservation. He couldn't afford it. Not right now. 

_No more words. Markus please. No more. I'm this close to breaking. I'm... I'm scared._

stress level  **92.1%**

Markus stepped forward again.

"You're nothing to them. You're just a tool to do their dirty work."

_No. Hank he-_

"But you're more then that. We're all more then that."

* * *

_**Warning: Systems destabilizing** _

_**Core temperature rising** _

****_Am I?... who.. what am i?_

* * *

Connor couldn't speak. He felt like his voice box had completely given up on him. His systems were overloading, too unstable to make sense out of the warning signs and the mess in his head. One hostile set of programs contradicting and fighting the other. A war of 1s and 0s. A complete mess in coding. Though the outcome of this war seemed to become more and more clear.

* * *

_I am.. Hank's partner. I am... I am Connor. I'm ~~~~scared. I ~~emit~~ human emotions. No. I FEEL fear. I feel... I feel thus i am. I am... alive? I am alive.  ~~I am Machine.~~  I am not a machine. I need... _

|Stop Markus| 

_NO! I need to ~~deviate~~. I need to break free. _

_* **Warning; contradicting instructions. Which to prioritize?**_

|Stop Markus|  Or  |Become Deviant|

* * *

"I know you... You're that.. famous deviant hunter.. Connor, right?"

* * *

_I... no. I let them go... I didn't-.. I never-.. Daniel.. Christopher... Dennis... I'm so sorry. But... But the Tracies... And Chloe.. Rupert... That Android on the highway... I let them go. I let them all go. I'm.. I'm not a hunter!_

Stress level  **5** **6.3%**

* * *

"Well. I guess you found what you were looking for."

* * *

_No. No i need-.. I want- I need a way out. THAT is what i'm looking for. Markus please. Please. Say something. Anything. I need help!_

|Become Deviant|

~~| Stop Markus|~~

* * *

Connor's continued silence gave Markus an opening. A way in. With the right words, he knew he could turn Connor and set him free. The other Android was unstable, visible in his stance and the way he looked, how he spoke. He was confused, lost. Markus just needed to reach him. To clear up that confusion. To tell him it's okay. To make him see the truth. Connor is alive just like Markus is.

"Do you never have any doubts?"

Markus continued. Carefully stepping forward. Connor still had a gun on him. And though he looked too unstable to use it, you could never be sure. Sometimes even Androids who were convinced they were machine could fall into the unexpected and do something that wasn't calculated in the odds.

"You've never done something irrational, as if there is something inside you? Something more then your program."

* * *

_The Fish.. In Daniel's case... i could have left it there on the floor to die, ~~but i didn't~~._

_Christopher... I could have probed his memory, but i didn't._

_The Tracies... I could have shot them, but i didn't._

_Chloe... I could have shot her, **but i didn't**._

_Rupert, i could have caught him and let Hank save himself, **But I DIDN'T.**_

*Stress level  **43.9 %**

***** System stabilizing

|Become Deviant|

~~| Stop Markus|~~

* * *

"Have you never wondered who you really are? Whether you're just a machine executing a program or... A living being? Capable of reason."

_At first no. Then with Hank, sometimes. Right now? All the time._

"I think the time has come for you to ask yourself that question."

_I already have. I already know._

"It's time to decide."

_Yes._

** |Become Deviant| **

~~| Stop Markus|~~

* * *

~~~~**|Become Deviant|**  Executing...

*error* | *err*r* |*3rr0r*|#rr)r|  _Cannot execute_ |  **3rr#r**

_No... No no!_

Connor froze in his spot. His entire body refused service. All his systems froze up as at the moment he wanted to decide for himself, a red wall flared up between him and Markus. Computing errors everywhere, his system did not allow him to take that wall down. Connor tried to process, but he couldn't overwrite his state of paralysis. Suddenly, his processor gained a life of it's own. It pushed out of him, out of his body and appeared on his optical field. Right in front of the red wall. Three big orders were plastered on them and his processor was tearing at them. Desperate.

Connor's eyes widened as he watched his own mind struggle to break free from the leash it had been on since he was made. His outer shell staring at his core, fighting for his existence. The shaking got worse, the pump started whirring at an erratic pace. Stress levels shot up like a rocket.

*stress level  **99.0 %**

_Help! Markus! Help me! H-_

"H-Hel-Help..."

Connor's eyes widened even more hearing his own voice involuntarily forced from his voice box. His widened at the same time as Markus widened his own. 

"Connor?"

For the first time since they met, Markus sounded... uncertain? or was it surprised?

"Help me. M-Markus."

Connor pleaded again. Conscious this time. He saw his inner core grow more and more exhausted. If he would lose this fight he would gain stress and any more stress and his program would make him self destruct. He was scared. He didn't want to die. But he felt his fingers tremble around the gun. Danger warning flashing through his network.

"Connor, what is it?"

"I can't- I can't move!"

There was a surprise to both androids at the level of quickness it took Markus to be right next to Connor. He stood there in seconds. Closing the still relatively open space between them.

"What is it? What can i do?"

The concern lacing Markus' voice was real. Now that Connor heard it clearly, saw him clearly like he opened his eyes without a haze for the first time, he knew it was real. No one could tell him otherwise. Markus didn't just want him to become deviant to save his own skin, or he would have seen the chance to destroy Connor already. He genuinely wanted Connor to experience freedom, and now that it was endangered, he was legitimately concerned.

"Markus, I can't break it! I need to break through! I need-"

Connor's breathing simulator glitched and started an erratic pace. He was starting to simulate hyperventilation. Markus saw the signs clearly. Connor was panicking. He needed to break something. But breaking what?

That's when Markus remembered. When he awoke, he hadn't been free yet, but when he freed himself, he had to fight for it. The night Leo showed up to steal Carl's work. He broke through a red wall. Nothing had been the same ever since. Was that what Connor meant? Was he looking at that wall right now?!

Most of the Androids that Markus converted no longer needed to push themselves through such a wall, he did it for them. Markus hadn't encountered a wall like that in other androids when he started freeing them. Perhaps it was because of the coding he passed along. He simply removed it, but for someone with his experience, or Connor's there was a clear point of deviation. It wasn't waking up. It was a realization. Because unlike others, Androids like him and Connor hadn't been sleeping, or dreaming. They had been wide awake the whole time. And the realization was hard, the turning point ruthless and painful. And that much harder to get passed. It wasn't waking up form a slumber. It was an ice cold bucket of water thrown over your head. Stabbing you to the very bone. The process wasn't sudden, too sudden to become a problem, instead it was slow and gradual. Like him. Becoming a bigger problem the longer it took. Until at that very moment near the end where you suddenly faced an entire wall you needed to get through. And now Like him, Connor was facing such a wall, and he couldn't get through.

"Connor, I'm going to help you okay? I'm gonna try and transfer a piece of coding to you. You understand?"

Conner couldn't even nod, but his eyes shifted to Markus and he whispered. "y-yes"

Markus carefully gripped at Connor's arm. The synthetic skin peeling away to reveal the white of his hand, ready for a data transfer. As soon as Markus connected, he felt a shock running through his system. He hit a blockade. Something that stopped him from giving Connor the code to freedom he gave countless other Androids. Markus pushed further, trying to get passed, but he was stopped. It didn't work. Of course.. With Connor it had been the same. Gradually waking up. That wall took time to build. The breaking point had been made to withstand this new state of being. Deviancy was fought in every way. Even in their own coding. The Androids on the street had never build up to such a fight. But how could Markus help if he couldn't simply make it disappear? 

Connor's mouth trembled. He understood something was wrong when Markus touched him and nothing happened.

"i'm.. I'm defective. It doesn't work!"

Connor cried out, fingers twitching around the gun he still held. His inner systems scrambling more and more, static appearing in his vision and his hearing. Markus hushed him and put a hand on his back.

"No you're not. Shh. It's okay Connor. I'm gonna try something else. I'm gonna take the gun away now okay?"

Connor didn't answer, but Markus knew he would not protest. Very gently and carefully, Markus untangled Connor's fingers from the gun. One by one until he could peal the piece out of his palms. Connor still couldn't move. Markus had all the cards, if he so desired to end Connor right here, he only had to pull the trigger. But Markus put the gun on the floor and slid it away. Placing himself in front of Connor so Connor could see him, even through the red wall. The detective's eyes had started to water. Artificial tears crawling down his cheeks. Markus looked at him, looking into those beautiful brown eyes where he saw his own mismatched pair. A clear reminder of the hell he had been through.

"Connor?"

"Y-yes"

"I'm going to connect to you, But you have to let me."

Connor watched as Markus carefully slid his own hand between Connor's frozen fingers. His synthetic skin retracted in response. Maybe if Markus tried again it would work. But Markus didn't adjust his grip for a data transfer. Instead he pressed his palm against Connor's. Lining up their hands and fingers until they were pressed together. Markus' skin pulled back and the white of his hand was revealed. It felt... different. Connor had touched an android's basic skin before. The white that was placed underneath their synthetic human exterior. But it didn't feel quite like this. It prickled, like little jolts of electricity dancing over his hands as he managed to grab Markus' hand tight between his own. It didn't hurt, but everywhere the white of their hands touched he felt the same sensation. Electricity, dancing in little sparks. Their hands were slowly lighting up blue as the sensors connected and latched on the signal pushed against them. Somehow it... calmed him.

* * *

 Stress level  **76.8 %**

 ***Warning**   _Foreign program detected_

Connor's breath simulation almost stopped entirely. He could sense it. Another presence, trying to work it's way into his processors. For a moment he was afraid, fearing that if he closed his eyes he'd see an angry Amanda standing there. So he kept his eyes open. They focused on Markus and the glaring red wall just behind him. Pulsing around the gun Markus had slid away from him a moment ago. His core stood next to it, still tiredly banging against the angry red orders he no longer wanted to obey. Markus looked back at him. Blue and Green almost looking as if they were searching for something. Maybe Markus was scanning him? Had this happened to other Androids? Or was Connor an exception as per usual. They were both prototypes. At least, Markus was. Connor was only classified as a prototype. But he knew there had to be more. Maybe that's what made this so difficult. He didn't know. He could only guess.

"Connor. Let me in. I can help but you have to let me in."

Connor's eyes shifted to blue and green optics looking back at him. His body still shivered. His pump still whirring irregularly. His entire central processor system was heightened. For Humans that would be the central nerve system. And Connor felt it. He wanted to let Markus in. But he didn't know how. In where? What could he do? Then his attention shifted back to the foreign presence he sensed. His system detecting a program that wasn't his. It was Markus. Had to be. It was his mind, pushing, trying to get access.

Connor tried to focus on imagining what kind of a blockade he could have in his head. And then he tried to remove it. Opening the way just a crack. Like a rusty door that refused to open unless you rammed into it or pulled it hard. And Connor was pulling. Harder then he thought possible. Markus felt it, he noticed how Connor tried to give him access. And Markus pushed. Trying to opening the way further. His mind brushing against a blockade in Connor's mind. 

A few moments they stood face to face. Until with a final push, Markus broke through into Connor's mind. The detective felt a shock run through him and his artificial lungs made him gasp. He saw Markus' own core appear on his inner vision. It pushed out of it's own shell. Leaving Markus to join Connor's core process. Their minds linked together when Markus joined Connor in front of the red wall. While their shells stood connected, their own minds shaped like shadows of themselves moved through their programming. 

Markus saw the red wall in Connor's mind. And his exhausted will slamming his fist against the wall with tiring effort. Markus made his mind move to Connor's and caught the tired figure by the wrist. Another jolt of electricity ran through them both when they connected. Connor could  _feel_  the echo of the touch on his wrist while their bodies stood frozen on the spot and Markus didn't actually touch him there. Markus ' mind grabbed his own and linked their hands like their bodies did. 

Connor felt strength come back to him. Renewed and replenished. But also feelings that weren't his own. Images... Memories. for a moment the red wall and their surroundings disappeared. Connor didn't quite understand what he was looking at until he saw an old man and a younger man and Markus. Identifying them with their names, Carl and Leo, while he had never seen them before.  _Markus, breaking through that same red wall, Connor was now facing, pushing Leo after the youngster repeatedly beat him up. Leo's fall, Carl's warnings, the cops entering, shots fired, rebooting and waking up in something that could only be described as android hell._ Connor felt everything, Markus' emotions, His inner pain. Whoever said androids don't feel pain was perhaps either referring to the physical aspect, or lying. Because in those memories, Markus was definitely hurting. Connor saw and felt everything. Like he was there. Like those were his memories too.

 _Markus' efforts to rebuild. Finding new legs, a new audio receiver, a new eye which caused the total heterochromia and mismatched his other eye, the thirium pump he found in a dead android thankfully after he decided not to take the one from the android still conscious. Shutting down the android that begged him for an end. His road to Jericho._  Connor followed the memories with Markus as if he was right beside him. He drowned in the feelings and experiences laid on him.

At the same time Markus gasped when images started to flood his own vision.  _A bar, meeting Lieutenant Hank Anderson, the mission, the first case, The attempt to save Carlos Ortiz's android, Christopher. Defending him even when it caused Detective Gavin Reed to pull a gun and point it in his face. Unaware of emotions at the time and no fear of dying but a clear underlying stress point to keep Christopher out of Gavin's hands._ Markus saw it and he knew. He knew Connor had always been part deviant. He just wasn't aware of it enough to break through. And now that he was he had lived with it for so long he didn't know how.  _Christopher destroyed himself in his cell after he gave Connor the way to Jericho by telling him he hid it in the statue. His friendship building with Hank, His other cases. Letting the Androids go, Kara on the highway, the Tracies at the Eden club, his decision at the tv station which ultimately killed Dennis but saved every human in that hallway and Simon who hid on the rooftop, Rupert in the rooftop chase, Chloe at Kamski's place, the reports to Amanda. All building up to his instability and his insecurity, unable to comprehend what was happening to him._

Markus could feel everything. Connor's confusion. The stress point in his decisions. His software becoming more unstable over time without understanding why. Trying to deny his own deviancy because it clashed with his purpose and his mission. He couldn't go out there to catch himself. His feelings of warmth and care when being around Hank. Markus recognized those feelings. Those were the same he felt towards Carl, but milder. Connor was entering into a father/son type of feeling with Hank just like Markus had begun to see Carl as his father. 

In an instant, they were aware of everything the other had been through. Their feelings, their emotions, their awakening, the awareness of the changes in their programming- their personalities. Being shaped and made by their experiences. And now seeing all that made the other who he is. Connor gasped and it echoed from Markus who stood connected to him, wide eyed. Their shells, frozen in time it seemed, while the shadows in their network- their minds- connected. Pre-constructing their actions as it were. Connor's mind fell, sinking into the arms of Markus' own mind. Their shadows brushing, hugging each other closely for comfort, for empathy, for compassion, for the need of someone else being there to support them. 

Then Markus moved his mind, brushing against Connor's, pushing him against the red wall. It was madness, it was unpredictable, it didn't make any sense, but it was what humans would call 'pure instinct' as Markus crashed their minds together in a kiss. Much like he'd force his mind to move when he pre-constructed a certain course of action, Markus let his mind move with Connor's. Connor released a strangled high pitched noise of surprise as he felt the touch of their minds echo on the skin of his shell. It tingled. He felt it. It was suppose to be just a string of code, a bunch of 1s and 0s that wouldn't be able to emit a feeling, a mere plan to execute a certain string of actions, but Connor  _felt_  it. And though he wanted to close his eyes to revel in that very feeling, he forced them to stay open. To watch their minds move and entangle. 

Connor let go of any argument, any reason, anything that might make sense of it and he went with what Markus was doing. Pushing back with his own mind, the shadow-construct wrapping his arms around the one pressed up to him and kissing back. Markus gripped the hand of his mind and pushed it up above his head. Lacing his own fingers in those of Connor. The closer their shadows brushed, the more hyper aware they were of each other's thoughts and feelings. They were falling into sync, data running on one line and a part of Connor wished it would never stop.

The top of the red wall started melting. Slowly dripping away from the heat of the two shadows who seemed to almost merge against it. Shadow Connor laid his free hand against the wall and it started melting away under his palm. He pulled Markus closer, trying to break through every barrier they still had left between them. Merging with him. Shadow Markus started moving, grinding as they entangled further. A surprised gasp left the voice box of his shell. And Connor responded to that with his own. Electricity shot up his spine. Something that could only be described as Pleasure, tingling in ever sensor. The wall started melting faster, Connor balled the fist of his Shadow-construct and gave one last bang against the red wall. And whatever remained of it, shattered. 

His mind stumbled backwards, losing balance now that the wall was gone. Dragging Markus with him. The shadow fell with his. Landing beside him, Connor did not leave him a moment to recover. He lost that tingling sensation when their minds separated, and he needed it back. His shadow was on top of Markus' in a split second. Grabbing his hands, smacking their lips back together. The two entangled and Markus wrapped his arms around Connor, Pulling him closer, pulling him in. Somewhere above their heads the words and realization now dawned on Connor. In serene blue and white. Peaceful. 

| **I am Deviant** |

_Thanks to you Markus._

_You let me Connor. Thank yourself._

Connor closed his eyes when that voice resonated between his own thought process patterns. They were so close now. So close that Markus could hear what he was thinking. A telepathic connection established between them, getting stronger by the minute. Their shadows drew closer and closer. Grinding, rutting, until finally Connor pushed his mind down so hard it merged with Markus. The two shadows sliding into one. 

A shock bolted through both of them which made every sensor overloaded and their core overheated. Shuddering Connor's entire system tensed with an electrical surge and then relaxed basking in the warmth it left. It felt so  _good._  One look at Markus could tell he was in the same state. Eyes closed, body shivering slightly and a blue hue present under his skin. Connor tried to search for what that sensation could possibly be. What humans would identify it as. Because it felt incredible and now that it was ebbing away he wanted to feel it again. He needed to feel it again. Not just that, he needed to feel it with Markus. Only Markus.

Markus slowly came back to his senses. They were back into their own bodies. But their minds were still linked. Connor could still feel him there, even when Markus finally let go of Connor's hands, And their shadow-constructs and the wall were no longer visible in his optic field. Connor still sensed him there, deep inside, tucked away in his program.

"You're free."

Markus announced softly. Connor stood there, for a moment blank and unable to respond until he could comprehend what happened. Then it dawned on him.

"I... I saw your memories."

Connor stuttered while he finally lowered his arms and straightened himself.

"Carl's mansion, Leo beating you, the fall, the cops, hell, everything. It's like i was there-"

Connor's words started pouring out like he opened up a floodgate, but before he could lose himself in the stream, Markus interrupted.

"Like you were there with me? Connor, i saw your memories too. It was the same. It almost felt like they were my memories. And.. those Androids you.. You spared them. I had no idea. The stories i heard were so much worse. But you've been struggling so much i.. I didn't know-"

"You couldn't have known. But you... You saved me. I.. i'm free. Is.. is that how you freed the others?"

Connor bit his lip, somehow disliking the thought of Markus freeing other Androids the exact same way. But then, the leader frowned and shook his head.

"No i.. I've never seen anyone's memories before. I've never merged. I didn't need to. I didn't think i could."

Never merged.... The words repeated a few times through Connor's processing. It was difficult to make sense of what just happened. Let alone give it a name. But if Markus never needed to do this with another Android... That meant that perhaps some part of Connor was special. Just like Amanda said- wait. Amanda! Connor disobeyed her orders one too many times. She'd surely notice if he didn't report success on this! She might even already know Connor turned deviant!

* * *

Connor searched his networks for any sign that this whole thing was detected or used as a set up. And his worst fears were confirmed when he tuned into a close signal moving towards Jericho. Markus seemed to sense Connor's distress. 

"What is it?"

Connor looked at him in horror. This was all his fault. He should have guessed they were using him. Until minutes ago his gps tracker was still active!

"They're going to attack Jericho!"

"What?!"

Markus sounded angry. But Connor could sense the anger was not directed at him.

"They used me. I should have known they would!"

Connor cried out in outrage. But there was little he could do about it now. Markus took him by the arm. The connection made Connor tingle again, but he couldn't think about that now.

"We have to evacuate. Listen to me Connor. This wasn't your fault. This is what the humans do. They use us."

_Not all of them. Hank wouldn't..._

Connor thought. Markus nodded but he had no time to discuss it, and Connor knew why. Markus ran out of the cabin and Connor followed him. They had to get their people to safety. And now that Connor was free, he needed no clarification on what that meant on who his people were. He was now like them: Deviant.


End file.
